1959 Map of Madison West

About this map

Lake Mendota dominates the northern landscape of this mid-century survey, with its south shore serving as the intellectual and civic heart of the state. The sprawling University of Wisconsin campus and the iconic State Capitol form the urban core, while the extensive University of Wisconsin Arboretum preserves a significant natural buffer to the south near Lake Wingra. Purple revisions from the 1960s and 1970s illustrate a period of rapid suburbanization, particularly evident in the expanding residential tracts of Middleton and the southern reaches of Madison Twp. Transportation networks like the Chicago and North Western railroad connect these outlying areas to the city center. Local history is deeply etched into the landscape through long-established sites such as Forest Hill Cemetery and the Academy of St Benedict, alongside mid-century landmarks like the Mohs Seaplane Base.